1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to terminal blocks and to electrical connectors for terminal blocks and, more particularly, to electrical bridging clips for connecting post-type conductive terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Terminal blocks are extensively used in telecommunications. A terminal block, for example, typically represents a demarcation point in a telecommunications network. A communication cable that enters the terminal block is the responsibility of the telecommunications service provider. The customer, however, is responsible for the installation and the maintenance of a communication cable that runs from the terminal block and into the customer's premises. An electrical bridging clip is then used in the terminal block to interconnect the customer's cable with the telecommunication service provider's cable.
These electrical bridging clips connect adjacent terminals in the terminal block. A well-known electrical bridging clip is a one-piece metal connector having a “U”-shape. This type of electrical bridging clip is discussed and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,376 to Headington et al. (Jun. 14, 1977), U.S. Design Pat. No. 224,406 to Heck (Jul. 25, 1972), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,168 to Thomas (Mar. 11, 1986). When connecting these terminals in the terminal block, the individual bridging clip is visually aligned with the desired terminals and forced onto the terminals. The force must be great enough to overcome the bias of the “U”-shape clip.
These prior art electrical bridging clips, however, have many disadvantages. The prior art designs are very small and, thus, difficult to handle. Because the prior art bridging clips are so small, an installing technician often has difficulty aligning the bridging clip with the terminals. If the installing technician touches the wrong terminal, a short or a voltage spike can occur. The small bridging clips are often lost after removal, so the technician must locate a replacement bridging clip. These problems are greatly multiplied when the terminal block has fifty (50) or more rows of terminals, with each row requiring a bridging clip. The prior art electrical bridging clips, in short, are very cumbersome, thus increasing installation/repair times and labor costs.
There is, accordingly, a need in the art for a terminal block design that reduces the need for these prior art electrical bridging clips, a need for an electrical bridging clip that reduces the occurrence of shorts and voltage spikes, a need for an electrical bridging clip that is easier and faster to install, and a need for an electrical bridging clip that reduces labor costs during installation and repair.